A gastric ulcer is a break in the normal tissue that lines the stomach.

Causes

Non-cancerous (benign) gastric ulcers are caused by an imbalance between stomach acid, an enzyme called pepsin, and the natural defenses of the stomach’s lining. This imbalance leads to inflammation, which can be made worse by aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen.

Risk factors for benign gastric ulcers include:

Use of aspirin and NSAIDs

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection

Chronic gastritis

Smoking

Increasing age

Mechanical ventilation (being put on a breathing machine)

Certain blood clotting problems

Stress does not cause or worsen gastric ulcers.

Gastric Ulcer Treatment Chennai

Symptoms

Abdominal pain

May wake you at night

May be relieved by antacids or milk

May occur 2 to 3 hours after a meal

May be worse if you don”t eat

Nausea

Abdominal indigestion

Vomiting, especially vomiting blood

Blood in stools or black, tarry stools

Unintentional weight loss

Fatigue

Treatment

For people with Helicobacter pylori infection, the main goal is to get rid of the bacteria that causes the infection. Many different medicines work. They usually include either an H2 receptor antagonist such as famotidine (Pepcid) or nizatidine (Axid) or a proton pump inhibitor such as omeprazole (Prilosec) or esomeprazole (Nexium) to suppress acid, combined with two antibiotics.

After you finish your medicines, your doctor will likely order a test to make sure that the H. pylori infection is gone.

Those who do not have an H. pylori infection may be prescribed ulcer-healing medications such as antacids, H2 receptor antagonists, or proton pump inhibitors. Long-term treatment may be needed.

If the ulcer bleeds, endoscopy can control bleeding in most cases.

Surgery may be recommended for persons who do not respond to medicines or endoscopy. Surgical procedures for gastric ulcers include:

Vagotomy — cuts the vagus nerve, which controls the stomach”s production of gastric acid

Partial gastrectomy — removes part of the stomach

Self-help measures include eating several small meals a day at regular time periods and avoiding the following: